Watch: Two Buildings Demolished in South Baltimore

On Sunday afternoon, a crew of demolition workers took down a pair of condemned buildings on E. Fort Avenue in Riverside. The footage is pretty raw, and leaves some questions about the crew’s execution.

Video (above) captured and posted by Gary Trakhman to YouTube yesterday protrays a shocking scene. The operator of a backhoe tentatively gears up to tear down the 212 end-unit building, which appears to be in a state of disrepair. However, as soon as the backhoe strikes, a piece of the top of that property smacks its neighbor, bringing down most of that building as well.

“Oh, shit,” a narrator rightfully reacts as as the brick comes crashing down.

According to Baltimore Housing spokeswoman Tania Baker, the department “received complaints about the safety of 212 E. Fort Avenue on Saturday.” Inspectors found signs of structural instability and deemed the property worthy of demolition, she said.

The next day, a demolition contractor was called for emergency demolition of the building.

As for the building next door? “[The Department of Housing and Community Development] is currently investigating what happened at 214 E. Fort Avenue.”

SouthBMore.com’s Kevin Lynch reports an emergency condemnation and demolition notice was affixed to the front door of the 214 property yesterday.

Both properties had recently been sold. State tax records show the 212 Fort Avenue property was purchased for nearly $167,000 in March, while the adjacent building went for nearly the same amount in April.

Ethan has been editing and reporting for Baltimore Fishbowl since fall of 2016. His previous stops include Fox 45, CQ Researcher and Connection Newspapers in Northern Virginia. His freelance writing has been featured in Baltimore City Paper, Leafly, DCist and BmoreArt, among other outlets. He enjoys basketball, humid Mid-Atlantic summers and story tips.